Netflix paid US$587 million for InterPositive, the artificial intelligence startup co-founded by actor and director Ben Affleck. The amount was disclosed through a regulatory filing with the SEC.
The company announced the acquisition in March, although it did not reveal the financial terms of the deal at that time. A subsequent report from Bloomberg estimated that the transaction could be around US$600 million.
Netflix paid US$587 million for InterPositive
What InterPositive, Ben Affleck's startup, does
As Affleck explained at the time of the announcement, InterPositive's artificial intelligence tools help filmmakers enhance their footage during post-production.
The actor noted that the technology is particularly useful for solving “real-world production challenges, such as missing shots, background replacements, or incorrect lighting”. Affleck also stated that he aimed to “protect the power of human creativity” with this development.
How Affleck's relationship with Netflix continues
Upon announcing the purchase, Netflix confirmed that the entire team from InterPositive would join the company, with Affleck coming on board as a senior advisor.
How is Affleck's relationship with Netflix going
How many Netflix titles have already used artificial intelligence
In its most recent earnings report, Netflix revealed that around 300 of its titles have already utilized generative artificial intelligence this year.
According to the company, the use of the technology spans the entire production process, from conception and pre-visualization to post-production and final release.
How many Netflix titles have already used artificial intelligence
Which productions used generative AI according to Netflix
Among the highlighted examples, Netflix mentioned the Indian sports series “Glory”, the Brazilian football miniseries “Brasil 70: A Saga do Tri”, and the documentary about the American Revolution “The American Experiment”.
According to the company, these tools allowed for the creation of “highly complex sequences”, including battle scenes and crowds with greater visual scale.
How AI impacted Netflix's financial results
The announcement came during the second quarter of the year, in which Netflix's revenues reached US$12.560 billion, a 13.4% increase from the previous year, with a net profit of US$3.400 billion.
How AI Impacted Netflix's Financial Results
According to data from LSEG Data & Analytics, Wall Street analysts expected revenues of US$12.590 billion and earnings of 79 cents per share, figures very close to those reported by the company.
What Ted Sarandos said about the use of AI at Netflix
The co-CEO of Netflix, Ted Sarandos, noted during the earnings presentation that the agreement with InterPositive is still in an early stage, although its impact on productions is already noticeable.
What did Ted Sarandos say about the use of AI at Netflix
Sarandos highlighted that 17 minutes of footage from “The American Experiment” were enhanced with artificial intelligence, allowing the series to expand its reach “at half the cost and in half the time” compared to previous options.
Netflix clarified that AI does not replace creatives
Despite the advancement of these tools, Sarandos emphasized that the company does not seek to replace creative professionals. “We believe that great artists are needed to create something great, and AI does not change that”, he stated.
The executive added that films “are still made by people who make films”, and that artificial intelligence simply provides them with better tools to enhance their work.
